The New York Islanders played the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 7 in a crucial game for both teams as they are trying to make up ground in the Eastern Conference standings. The Islanders jumped out to a 3-0 lead and despite two goals from the Senators, they held on to take the game 4-2 and earn their second victory in a row as well.
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Both the Islanders and the Senators are in the same tier in the Eastern Conference. They have good but not great rosters with a ceiling that can get them to the playoffs and a floor that will see them at the bottom of their divisions. For the two teams, the depth scoring will make the difference this season as it did in the recent game.
Islanders’ Depth Stepping Up
With the surplus of injuries, specifically, Anthony Duclair and Mathew Barzal being out long term, the Islanders have a top-six pieced together with both stars and depth skaters. One line consists of Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri, and Maxim Tsyplakov while the other is Bo Horvat with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee on the wings.
The Horvat line took over the game against the Senators. They combined for three goals and three assists in the four-goal effort with Horvat leading the way, scoring a goal and adding two assists. Lee used to be a top-line winger but age and injuries have him playing a third-line role these days. He was moved up to the top six and once again found his scoring touch with a quick shot from the slot. While Pageau tends to play his best hockey against his former team, he’s proven that he’s capable of turning back the clock this season as he’s playing with a burst of speed and taking advantage of his quick shot.
Along with the newly formed line stepping up, the Islanders saw Oliver Wahlstrom find the back of the net with a backhand shot in the third period to give the team a commanding 3-0 lead. Wahlstrom has fallen out of favor with the organization in recent seasons as he’s struggled to find a stable role and tap into the potential that the team hoped for when they drafted him. His goal in the latest game showed that he can still provide a spark in a fourth-line role and add offense to the bottom six where the Islanders need it most.
The offense remains a weak link for the Islanders, averaging only 2.43 goals per game, the fifth-worst mark in the league. However, they’ve scored four goals in back-to-back games, and the middle of the forward unit stepping up has been a big part of that. Skaters like Lee, Pageau, Pierre Engvall, and Casey Cizikas finding the back of the net will have this team back in the playoffs.
Senators Invested in Depth This Offseason
The Senators have missed the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons and the past few have not been because they lacked star power. They have Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Thomas Chabot as the young skaters to build a contender around. The problem was the pieces around them.
That’s why the Senators invested in depth this offseason. They signed David Perron and Michael Amadio to strengthen the forward group while acquiring Nick Jensen in the Jakob Chychrun trade to round out the defense. The team has stumbled as of late but they’ve been competitive because of their role players.
The first goal of the recent game came off a Jensen shot that zipped past Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov’s glove. He’s not a two-way player but he’s someone who embodies rounding out the roster. He’ll step up on the defensive end of the ice and when needed, help out the offense from the blue line. Jensen is one of the many additions to this roster that will make the team look better this season and be in the playoff conversation.
Yes, the Senators have the star power. However, finding the key players to prevent the team from falling off will be what gets this team over the hump. The big addition in the offseason was goaltender Linus Ullmark and the hope is he finally provides this team with stability in the net. However, the young skaters emerging as key skaters along with the veteran additions are what make the Senators different from previous seasons.
Islanders & Senators Still a Tier Below Elite Teams
The game between the two teams showed the value of depth scoring but it also showed the shortcomings in both rosters. The Islanders lack a scoring presence from the point with Dennis Cholowski being the only defenseman to find the back of the net so far this season. The Senators have young skaters playing key roles offensively, notably Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto, but the two have underachieved early on, combining for only three goals and two assists.
More importantly, both teams have struggled on the defensive end of the ice. The Senators look like a mess with their defensemen allowing opponents to move the puck at will in the neutral and offensive zones and it’s why they’ve allowed nine goals in the last two games. The Islanders meanwhile have a unit decimated by injuries with Adam Pelech, Alexander Romanov, and Mike Reilly all out of the lineup and it’s made prospect Isaiah George a saving grace for this team.
The Islanders and the Senators have shown flashes this season and can both make the playoffs. However, with flawed rosters, it will still take some movement to get them there. Finding scoring depth is a small step in the right direction for both teams.
